Discovering History

Marthaler Home

Location: 1746 Oakdale Ave. (Razed)

Jacob and Regina Marthaler, who settled in Dakota County in 1857, built this stone structure in 1863 at a cost of $400. The main part of the house was constructed of gray limestone obtained from the Riverview quarry once located near the intersection of Robert and Concord. The walls were approximately 22 inches thick.

The house contained 11 rooms, 5 stairways and 3 porches. The original windows and front porch were replaced during a renovation in 1910. The house was considered an important local example of early settlement housing influenced by the Federal architectural style interpreted from eastern prototypes.The house eventually fell into disrepair and after sitting empty for nearly 15 years, it was torn down in 1993, at the advanced age of 130 years.